Rahul visits Siddaganga Mutt

NT Correspondent

Former President of AICC Rahul Gandhi kicked off his two-day visit to Karnataka by visiting the Gadduge of Dr Shivakumar Swamiji of Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru on the occasion of the 115th birth anniversary of the late pontiff on Thursday

As soon as he arrived at KIAL around 12:50 pm, Rahul was received by a galaxy of leaders including AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, KPCC Working Presidents Salim Ahmed and R.Dhruvanarayana.

Later, the Congress leader checked into a hotel near the airport and was closeted with a few leaders for about one and a half hours to reportedly gauge the current political situation in the state. At around 2:30 pm, he left by road for Tumakuru along with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. All along the highway, enthusiastic Congress workers greeted their leader with Rahul waving at them sitting in the car.

After reaching Tumakuru, the Congress leader was received by the current pontiff who accorded him a traditional welcome. Rahul was told that his grandmother, late Indira Gandhi and father, late Rajiv Gandhi had both visited the mutt. After spending an hour at the mutt, Rahul returned to Bengaluru and will attend a series of meetings on Friday.